ON THIS DAY: 22 January – On the road to Whaddon Road & Gresty Road
Reds have enjoyed Northern Premier League success on the 22nd January in previous years, have drawn twice whilst on Football League duty but came unstuck in a couple of Conference North outings…….
It is ten years since we last played ‘On this day’ and an away day against Gloucester City in 2011 meant we wouldn’t be playing in Gloucester. They were experiencing a nomadic existence at that time so the Blue Square Bet North fixture took place at Cheltenham Town’s Whaddon Road ground.
It was a treat to play on a Football League ground – our first visit – but it turned out to be a day best forgotten and a goal in each half saw Gloucester win with a bit to spare.
We were out-muscled and unable to cope with City’s physical approach and a few incidents in the first half prompted manager, Darren Edmondson, to get involved with City’s Darren Edwards as the players left the field and our Darren was sent off!
Reds were also below par in our 2008 home clash against Harrogate Town and, with heavy rain throughout the day, it was the usual mud-bath conditions for the teams to contend with.
Town scored the only goal of the game in the first half but, although we improved in the second, we lacked the guile to fashion an equaliser.
There was a win to celebrate in 2005, however, with Reds inflicting a 4-1 home defeat upon Prescot Cables.
We were three ahead at the break but injuries to Craig Johnston and Steve Birks disrupted our rhythm and Cables made a game of it in the second half.
Matt Henney, Craig Johnston, Gary Cohen and Graham Goulding scored our goals that day with Adam Collin saving a second half penalty.
Reds also scored four times in the 1994 encounter against Goole Town who were visiting Borough Park for the second time on this particular day.
Paul Doolan scored his first goal for the club to open the scoring – a fine strike from distance – and was joined on the score sheet by Martin Henderson, who netted twice, and Paul Campbell.
Town replied with two second half goals to take some consolation out of the game.
Goole had also lost at Borough Park eleven years earlier in 1983, Reds winning 2-1 on that occasion thanks to goals from Wayne Harrison and Graham Gill.
Our two Football League matches played during the seventies produced 1-1 draws.
In 1972, we were held at home by Gillingham with Dave Helliwell, one of three ever-presents that season, scoring our goal.
Malcolm Moore netted his first Workington goal in our drawn game at Crewe, our last visit to Gresty Road in our final season of Fourth Division football.
The small contingent of Reds supporters were quite happy with the point because we didn’t obtain many on the road as we struggled to survive at that level.
There wasn’t much cheer back in Cumbria, though. Carlisle United were hosting Southampton at Brunton Park but were swept aside 6-0!
